Houston has been a story of paralysis: the paralysis of an entire American city. That is what we’ve seen on TV.
Harder to see is the more intimate story, really the more important story. It’s the same story I reported a dozen years ago almost to the day, and day after day, from Hurricane Katrina. It’s the story of uncounted thousands of Americans who are now refugees. The story of citizens who worked at their jobs and sheltered their kids and paid their bills and never expected to be homeless, yet now they are.

In response to the Charlottesville tragedy, a friend of mine who recently attended a Colorado Rockies game the same night we did lamented the fact that we can come together in support of sports teams, but continue to be so split when it comes to the future of our country. He also wondered why after over 150 years since the end of the Civil War that statues of Confederate figures have become so controversial now.

Evergreen’s connections to the big news stories of recent days— troops in Afghanistan, terrorism in Barcelona, racism in Charlottesville, confrontation with North Korea— are indistinct. But with North Korea warning Sunday of “the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war,” confrontation is back. And so is belligerence. And so is the nuclear menace. Evergreen isn’t likely in North Korea’s crosshairs. But if the confrontation turns uncontrollable, all of us could be the losers.

For teachers, principals and school staff, August is a busy time of year. It’s also exciting as we prepare to open a new school year. At Platte Canyon School District, the floors are polished, the buses have been serviced, teachers have ordered their supplies and technology is ready to go. We are ready to welcome all of our students and families to the 2017-18 school year.

The most important renewable resource that we can access is children. Our ability to provide education and training for future generations is the single biggest thing we can do to adequately prepare ourselves for the future.

Tomorrow — Thursday, Aug. 17, as you read this — is the first day of school in Jefferson County, and my wife and I know it all too well. Goodbye, sleeping in until the weekend comes.
OK, it’s not that bad. I don’t get that much sleep as it is. But with two school-aged children — one still in elementary school and another a year away from high school (gulp!) — the next nine months will be an assortment of running around to get kids to and from where they need to be, juggling homework assignments and finding that work-life balance.

One reason why opioid crisis exists
Editor:
In February, I quite the opiates and other meds I had been taking for 20 years to control my chronic pain.
I have a long history of spinal issues, mostly cervical, which has resulted in eight neck surgeries, the last one an Occipital Cervical Fusion on Sept. 15. I am not totally fused fromC-7 to the skull — a curved bar bolts my head to my spine.

Working to be bipartisan
Editor:
Some questions have come to my mind and might have come to yours: What does it mean to be a leader? A senator? A representative of the people? A
servant of the people? A caretaker for the people? A person in this world?
Such questions have, I hope, occupied our senators and congressmen — and president — on more than a few occasions while in their elected positions. They would be large questions for anyone, but especially for the political leaders in our country.

Millions of Americans have Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, on their minds as he again fights for his life. This time, he is battling a brain tumor. I admit that he is my favorite among modern-day politicians. He is a war hero, a maverick who is driven by his conscience, and a father figure who demonstrates exceptional character. You have to love his self-deprecating communication style.

I woke up Saturday morning to the news of the passing of Jim Vance. Who you may ask? Let me explain.
Vance, for as long as I can remember, was the news anchor for NBC4, the local affiliate in Washington, D.C. The 75-year-old started at WRC-TV in 1969, two years before I was born. He was one of the first African-Americans to sit in the news anchor chair. No, he doesn’t have a nationally recognizable name like Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather or Peter Jennings, but he was a staple in Washington, D.C., television news.

EPRD’s mission is to improve the quality of life
Editor:
We at Evergreen Park & Recreation District were distressed to learn from a letter to the editor in the Canyon Courier on July 12, 2017, that the family of a disabled patron felt mistreated at one of our pools.